IS SOUTH AFRICA BECOMING A CENTRALISED OR DECENTRALISED DEMOCRACY? AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS PERSPECTIVE
This was written on the 20 July 2009 The recent pronouncements on Co-operative government have resuscitated the almost buried debate on the nature of our governance system as it relates to the powers and functions of sub-national governments and the concomitant intergovernmental relations system. Whilst the current igniters seem to be focussed on the local government capacity related issues, it is the long term management of South Africa’s democracy issues that are igniting an inquest into the real intents of the emerging centralisation tendency. The South African constitution establishes South Africa as one sovereign democratic state founded on values that include the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law as well as a multi-party system of democratic governance. The constitution further constitutes government as national, provincial and local spheres that are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. The mere mention and practice of political representation determined ...